Pen is mightier than the sword: The Editor Caitlin Boyle
Welcome to Inner Bellissima's hunt for maverns whose mission is to end women's negative self-talk through the mediums of coaching, healing, writing and hypnotherapy amongst several. We finally caught up with the Caitlin Boyle, Editor of www.operationbeautiful.com whose successful note-writing campaign has fuelled the flames of positivity and encouragement amongst women across the world. Notes have been flying in from all over the world, sparking the torch of inner beauty talk: in turn, this sparked off a guide book for teenagers to combat their way through tough decisions and challenges.
In this interview, Caitlin speaks about the mission behind Operation Beautiful, why we need to stop beating ourselves up and how thinking of the most beautiful person in the world can make you feel that way.
What is OperationBeautiful about?
The site started in June 2009 and I've received over 7,000 notes from all over the world since it started, including notes from Asia, Europe, and Africa. Operation Beautiful involves posting random notes in public places for other people to find. These notes typically encourage a positive body image or outlook and include phrases like "You are beautiful inside and out" or "Scales measure weight, not worth." I was inspired to start Operation Beautiful after having a really bad day at work; I wanted to do something small and simple for someone else to make me feel better!
The Operation Beautiful book is called Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-It Note at a Time. It was published in August 2010 by Gotham Books and was featured in Glamour, Fitness, Women's Day, FIRST, and on The Today Show. The book includes 125 amazing notes and stories, as well as tips on how to lead a happier and healthier life. The book is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Borders. The next book will be for tweens and teens and will be released in Summer 2012! It will be called Operation Beautiful: For Best Friends and is now available for pre-order.
What makes you want to inspire women to uncover their beauty?
There is a lot of negative messaging in our society. The biggest mistake we make is beating ourselves up for not looking like models or celebrities. It's time we stop emulating or striving for a type of perfection that doesn't even exist in the real world. It's OK to look like a human!
Do you think we can think ourselves beautiful?
I do. Think of the most beautiful person you know... it is probably your mom or grandma or best friend, and they are beautiful not because of what they look like but what they do.
What does inner beauty mean to you?
It's about honoring yourself and honoring others.
Can you tell us about your journey on finding your beauty?
My journey has been about realizing that the standard our society holds us up to - not just for looks but for personality and achievements too - is almost impossible to reach. Real people aren't perfect, and that's okay.
What do you think are the main hurdles women face when dealing with accepting their beauty?
I think it's important to realize our self worth is not determine by what we look like or even by how other people treat us. True worth comes from within.
In your opinion, how can we begin to help women have a healthier image of themselves?
These is a lot of negative messaging in our society, and the issues start young - did you know the average girl goes on her first diet when she's 8 years old? The biggest mistake we make is beating ourselves up for not looking like models or celebrities. It's time we stop emulating or striving for a type of perfection that doesn't even exist in the real world.
Join in on the fun of posting your unique message at: operationbeautiful@gmail.com
